Organizers of 16 design weeks around the world come together at International Design Week Forum to build mutual support network and promote a flourishing international design industry


Taipei (Taiwan) – Sixteen organizers of leading design weeks around the world will attend the International Design Week Forum, one of four Signature Events taking place in Taiwan in October as part of the World Design Capital® (WDC) Taipei 2016. The bilingual two-day forum, organized in conjunction with Taiwan Designers’ Web, will explore how design weeks can best promote the design industry and establish a global network for mutual support and exchange of resources.

The 16 participants come from the Design Junction (United Kingdom), Dutch Design Week (Netherlands), Ventura Lambrate (Italy), Helsinki Design Week (Finland), D’days (France), Design Days Mexico and Mexico Design Week (Mexico), Tokyo Design Week (Japan), Beijing Design Week (China), Business of Design Week (Hong Kong), SingaPlural (Singapore), Chiang Mai Design Week (Thailand), Sydney Design Festival (Australia), Design Days Dubai (United Arab Emirates), and Holon Design Week (Israel). Also in attendance will be Ben Chiu and Timothy Liao, the CEO and Executive Director of Taiwan Designers’ Web and Taiwan Designers’ Week.

“We anticipate that this forum will represent a significant step forward for the design world,” says Ben Chiu, Executive Director of Taiwan Designers’ Web. “While design weeks have great potential to cultivate and promote local design talents, as the participants are well aware, there are also many obstacles to overcome. We hope that this exchange of ideas and experience will help us to find solutions to our common challenges in a global context.”

“The International Design Week Forum will be an opportunity to build a solid foundation for future global collaboration and sharing of resources,” says Pei-ni Beatrice Hsieh, Commissioner of the Department of Cultural Affairs of the Taipei City Government. “Audience members will also gain a deep insight into the international design industry as it stands today and see how it can develop in the future.”

The second day of the forum, which will be open to the public, will be held at the Taipei Fine Arts Museum on Tuesday, October 18, from 1.00-5.00PM. The forum will be divided into three segments: World Design Capital, Global Design Perspectives, and Asian Design Powers. The topics for discussion include how design weeks can incubate and support local design talent, how to overcome the challenges faced by design weeks, and the impact that design weeks can have in city branding. To sign up for the forum, visit their official website.

Other major events in October include the International Design House Exhibition, which will be held at the Songshan Cultural and Creative Park from Thursday, October 13 until Sunday, October 30;  the International Design Policy Conference on the weekend of October 15 and 16 at the Taipei International Convention Center; and the Network of Cities Meeting, an invitation-only event on Wednesday, October 12 and Thursday, October 13. For more information on WDC Taipei 2016 events, visit the official website  or follow on Facebook.


About WDC Taipei 2016
“Adaptive City — Design in Motion” was Taipei City’s core concept in its 2015 application to host World Design Capital 2016. How can we apply innovative “design thinking” practices to overcome the constraints that limited resources place on our city’s development, pursue continual change in our urban governance, create happiness in the lives of our citizens — providing them with a better quality of life in a more livable, forward-looking city? These are the goals for Taipei City. 2016 marks the beginning of an evolution for Taipei, where we will take advantage of the potential in change by “Engaging Communities,” “Connecting Information,” and “Revitalizing the City.” For more information on WDC Taipei 2016, visit the official website, or follow on Facebook.

About World Design Capital
World Design Capital® (WDC) is designated by Icsid every two years to recognize a city’s innovative use of design for economic, social and cultural development and to showcase effective design-led urban revitalization strategies that other cities can benefit from. Past cities to hold the WDC title include Torino (Italy) in 2008, Seoul (South Korea) in 2010, Helsinki (Finland) in 2012, andCape Town (South Africa) 2014. Taipei (Taiwan) is this year’s WDC, and Mexico City has just been named WDC 2018. For more information, please visit World Design Capital.

About the International Council of Societies of Industrial Design
The International Council of Societies of Industrial Design (Icsid) is an international non-governmental organization (INGO) founded in 1957 that promotes the profession of industrial design. Icsid recently approved a name change, World Design Organization, to be implemented and celebrated during its 60th anniversary in 2017. Icsid advocates industrial design driven innovation that creates a better world, engaging our more than 140 member organizations in collaborative efforts and carrying out international programming — World Design Capital®, World Design Impact Prize, World Industrial Design Day, and Interdesign. Icsid has United Nations Special Consultative Status. For more information, please visit www.icsid.org.

Media Contact
Saskia Kerkvliet
International Media Liaison
t: +886-2-2311-7007 *406
e: saskia.kerkvliet@ddg.com.tw

Taipei City Government Contact
Olivia Hsu
World Design Capital Taipei 2016 Office
t: +886-2-2720-8889 *3657
e: bt-yunwei@mail.taipei.gov.tw

Taipei WDC Office Contact
Anne Chang
World Design Capital Taipei 2016 Office
t: +886-2-2745-8199 *410
e: anne_chang@tdc.org.tw